Many liquid materials are transported in 55 gallon barrels, drum containers or other large volume containers (collectively, “barrels”). Barrels generally are moved in bulk by placing the barrels on a pallet to allow a forklift to move the loaded pallet. Movement of individual barrels is problematic, as individual barrels (generally cylindrically shaped) have no ready “handles” or other lifting assistance mechanism to which a fork lift or other lifting device can grasp for ease of movement. Individual barrels may be sling lifted by crane, but sling lifting presents problems. The sling lifted barrel may sway when lifted which can result in the barrel striking surrounding objects or structures. This can be particularly troublesome if the barrel contains hazardous materials, as a resulting spill can cause severe injury or result in contamination problems.